województwo śląskie

A positive energy

Silesian voivodeship has been changing beyond imagination for at least a decade. Industrial region transforms into a very interesting place for tourists. Lively culture, multitude of monuments, many architectonic attractions and fresh initiatives. Cultural, economic, social. Silesian regains its energy, it is no longer associated only with coal mines but also with active rest. Będzin, Bielsko-Biała, Bytom, Częstochowa, Katowice, Mysłowice, Rybnik… In all of those cities you will find inimitable atmosphere, culture and traditions as well as monuments of Silesian culture, you will have a chance to listen to a local slang, just pop in one the famous familoks. Nature neighbors postindustrial landscapes. The local slang mixes with Polish language.

Landscapes

If the only think you are expecting to see is a coal pile, you couldn’t be more wrong! Żywiec Beskids and Silesian Beskids will help you change your mind. Kraków-Częstochowa Upland comprises numerous parks and sanctuaries. Diversity of the voivodeship area is impressive. To the south you have mountainous terrain, ideal for winter sports and hiking fans. While the ruins of Silesian castles, the trail of the Eagles’ Nests, has been the destination of exciting trips for decades.

Heath resorts and tradition

Industry, industrialization, coal mining – despite heavy exploitation of the environment, the curative values of this part of Poland have not been destroyed. Sanatoriums still host many people and let them recover. Medicinal springs or brines is something you will find in Chorzów as well as in Jastrzębie and Ustroń. Landscape parks offer a chance to take some fabulous photographs and to rest after all. Silesian voivodeship is a perfect place to pursue your ethnographic passion with no limits. Istebna and Koniaków are places well-known for production of traditional clothing, handicraft and monuments of rural architecture as well as the art of building.

Jasna Góra Monastery

It is well-known that Silesian people are religious. Numerous monuments of sacral architecture – monasteries, churches – surprise no one. An obvious center of religious cult is Jasna Góra Monastery. This is the most important place of the cult of the Mother of God in Poland, the destination of numerous foot pilgrimages, the spiritual capital of Poland. The history of monastery is rich in facts, legends, myths and mysteries. It attracts with its extraordinariness and an aura of sacred place. Jasna Góra is a place of numerous miracles, convalescences and spiritual transformations as well as important speeches of Catholic Church heads. It was attacked on the occasion of numerous Swedish, Russian and German invasions and it survived them all, and due to a number of coincidences it became a symbolic mainstay of Polish identity. Unmoved, firm, imperishable. Jasna Góra Monastery is also a gem of XVIth century architecture. Renaissance and baroque influences are also apparent. Five million pilgrims and tourists yearly visit the monastery, and this definitely confirms the influence of this place and its rank in the hearts of pilgrims from all over the world.

Spodek

The city of big events, concerts and open-air shows. Katowice. Today it is the cultural capital of Silesia, rather than industrial center. Former mines and postindustrial buildings change their functions. They became tourist attractions and there are a lot of eager fellows to visit and see industrial areas. They come from as far as Japan and today organized tours in Katowice are as obvious as in Cracows’ Main Market Square. The famous Spodek is concert center. The greatest music stars give their performances here and fans come to see them from the farthest parts of Poland.